Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil drawing by Morgan Russell. It dates from 1922 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1922, this untitled work by Morgan Russell consists of oil applied to transparentized paper. The composition is abstract, built from interlocking geometric forms rendered in a palette of red, green, blue and yellow. The overlapping shapes generate a visual depth that gives the surface a textured, almost luminous quality, characteristic of Russell’s early modernist experiments.
Subject & Meaning
The piece does not depict recognizable objects; instead it explores the interaction of color and form. By arranging the geometric elements in layers, Russell evokes a sense of movement and shifting space, inviting viewers to experience the dynamism inherent in pure abstraction rather than narrative content.
Technique & Style
Russell employed oil paint on a specially prepared paper that had been rendered translucent, allowing light to pass through and intensify the hues. The bold, flat color fields and precise edges reflect the influence of Cubist and Futurist ideas, while the layering technique creates a subtle three‑dimensional effect uncommon in paper works of the period.
History & Provenance
The work entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it remains on display. Its acquisition date is not publicly recorded, but the piece is documented as part of MoMA’s early 20th‑century modernist holdings, representing Russell’s contribution to American abstraction during the post‑World War I era.
Artist & collection
Artist
Morgan Russell was a modern American artist. With Stanton Macdonald-Wright, he was the founder of Synchromism, a provocative style of abstract painting that dates from 1912 to the 1920s. Russell's "synchromies," which…
